Author(s): Jose Lebrero Stals

Design

It is difficult to say when the first toys were invented but archaeology suggests the need to play and to create objects to play with is an unchanging element over the course of humanity. Toys and games reflect the social and cultural reality of each era. The children's toys, books, and furniture in this publication were created by the avant-garde artists of the first half of the twentieth century. It was a time of crises and tensions, technological and scientific progress and also years of important advances in psychology and the social sciences. For the first time, childhood was seen as a crucial phase in the development of individuals and one requiring specific attention. The result was new educational methods and an emphasis on the value of sensory and cognitive stimulus. Imagination and creativity were welcomed and encouraged. Artists of the avant-garde, proponents of spontaneous expression, embraced these ideas and created art works especially for children-objects designed to be touched, and used for play as well as well as looked at.